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Sami ran into Gabi and Arianna in the town square. Gabi admired Sami's diamond necklace, and Sami reported that she had received it as a Valentine's Day gift from E.J. Gabi explained that she was just killing some time because she had agreed to give Will and Sonny some privacy so that they could celebrate Valentine's Day together, adding that she was a sucker for romance.

Sami hoped that Gabi wouldn't let that send her right back into Nick's arms. Gabi sighed and impatiently asked Sami to stop, complaining that Sami and others were always going on and on about how Nick was evil and couldn't be trusted. "How come it's okay if you're with E.J., [but] if I give Nick the benefit of the doubt, it's all wrong? I mean, think about it -- what's the difference?" Gabi wondered.

Sami scoffed and insisted that the two situations were completely different, but Gabi disagreed, explaining that she had heard plenty of stories about the things that E.J. and Sami had done to each other. Gabi cited Sami's lie about Sydney's paternity and E.J.'s decision to kidnap Sydney as two examples of how volatile their relationship had once been. "And those are all things I just heard. Imagine if I just kind of went around and asked," Gabi pointedly added.

Gabi maintained that, while Nick had done some awful things in the past because his love for her had clouded his judgment, his actions couldn't even begin to compare to what E.J. and Sami had done to each other. Sami conceded that her long, complicated history with E.J. hadn't been "all hearts and flowers," but she reiterated that Gabi's situation with Nick was completely different, especially since Gabi had a child with Will, not Nick. Gabi countered that Nick wasn't trying to interfere with Will's custody of Arianna. Sami couldn't believe that Gabi was attacking Sami and E.J.'s relationship to defend the man who had terrified Gabi a few weeks earlier.

"You've never been terrified of E.J.?" Gabi countered. Sami clarified that she had never been terrified of E.J. -- or any other man, for that matter -- but Gabi wasn't convinced. Gabi stressed that she liked E.J. and believed that he was a great guy who had obviously changed, but she pointedly theorized that he had only changed because Sami had given him a chance to do so.

Sami incredulously wondered if Gabi was thinking about giving Nick another chance because Gabi believed that Nick had also changed. Gabi noncommittally replied that she was simply saying that Nick was trying to change, prompting Sami to clarify that Nick was bragging to anyone who would listen that he had already changed. As Gabi maintained that E.J. was proof of the fact that people were capable of changing, Sami received a business call and excused herself so that she could answer it. Sami silently instructed Gabi not to move, but Gabi disobeyed the order and walked away while Sami's back was turned.

As E.J. was strolling past the Brady Pub, Nick stopped him. Nick said that he would love to talk to E.J. about something if E.J. had a moment to spare. E.J. couldn't imagine a single word that he would want to hear from Nick, who smugly replied that there were two words that had immediately sprung to his mind -- attempted and murder.

"What is that? That scar you have there? Is that from a lobotomy? 'Cause you don't seem to be thinking very clearly, Mr. Fallon," E.J. coolly observed. Nick feigned amusement and wondered if E.J. had managed to think of the clever remark on his own. Nick refused to believe that E.J. didn't know what had really caused the scar, since E.J. had looked like he had seen a ghost when Nick had entered the church after Arianna's christening.

E.J. said that Nick's interpretation of his reaction was a bit skewed, clarifying that he had simply seen right through Nick's cheap theatrical entrance. Nick innocently hoped that meant that E.J. had been able to recognize that Nick was completely sincere about being a changed man. "Why don't we just, uh, cut to the chase, shall we? What exactly is it that you want?" E.J. impatiently demanded to know.

Nick shrugged and agreed to comply with the request, stressing that, while he wasn't wearing a wire, he would understand if E.J. wished to remain silent during what Nick referred to as truth time. "The reason that I decided to admit that I -- that I knew what had happened that night was...well, Sami and Kate, they just -- they wouldn't let it go, you know what I mean? And I thought that the best way to deal with the fallout was to basically just go to all the other people -- the accomplices, you know, who -- who knew that Sami and Kate had -- had tried to murder me -- and basically just take them aside separately to talk, just so everything's out on the table and -- and you all know where I stand," Nick claimed.

E.J. said that he didn't really care where Nick stood as long as it was out of E.J.'s sight, but Nick wasn't convinced, guessing that E.J. cared a great deal about where Nick stood because what Nick knew about the incident at the river mattered. E.J. clarified that it didn't matter to him. "Really? Is that why you sent those men to scour the woods to clean up any traces of my blood and DNA? 'Cause it -- it kind of makes it seem like you were worried about it. Do you know what I'm talking about? The area that Sami and Kate dragged me through before they threw me in the river? Look, E.J., I know you were just trying to protect the woman you love, which I admire, actually. I -- I respect that a -- a great deal. But what I am asking is to be left alone to rebuild my life," Nick claimed.

"I'm glad that you understand that I will do whatever it takes to protect Samantha. If there is any kind of threat, I'll end it," E.J. replied. E.J. stressed that he hadn't really cared about Nick's life before and that he wasn't likely to start caring about Nick's life at any point in the future, and he added that he couldn't think of a single reason for them to ever cross paths with each other again -- as long as Nick stayed away from E.J., Sami, and their family, of course. E.J. calmly walked away as Nick glared at him.

Nick was eating a bowl of clam chowder when Gabi and Arianna arrived at the pub later that day. Nick reminisced that he and Gabi had often shared bowls of clam chowder when she had lived in the apartment above the pub. Nick invited Gabi to join him, and she accepted the invitation, admitting that she was kind of hungry. When one of the pub employees carried a bowl of clam chowder over to the table for Gabi a short time later, she noted that it was nice to see Gabi and Nick together at the pub again, adding that she had always believed that they had made the best newlyweds.

Nick laughed as the employee walked away, observing that someone was clearly out of the loop. Gabi admitted that it did feel strange for her and Nick to be enjoying a meal together like nothing had ever happened, prompting him to stress that as far as he was concerned, nothing had happened -- except, of course, for the fact that he had been a total jerk. Nick claimed that those days were over and that he had changed, but Gabi pointed out that he had just blackmailed Kate into giving him and Percy a job earlier.

Nick innocently reasoned that he had wanted to repay Percy for being a good friend. Nick also argued that he was doing Kate a favor, since she would soon be making millions thanks to his formulas -- earnings that would make his salary seem insignificant in comparison. Gabi wondered if Nick really wanted to help Kate, even after everything that had happened.

"Look, what -- what Kate and Sami did was, uh -- was rotten, yeah, but I don't -- I don't blame them for what happened. As a matter of fact, I actually understand exactly how they feel. I mean, what I did to Will was -- was terrible, you know? It was -- it was disgusting, and when I look -- when I look back on that, um -- my point is that I don't blame Sami and Kate for hating my guts," Nick claimed. Gabi wondered if Nick was taking responsibility for what had happened, and he confirmed her suspicion, but he added that Sami and Kate also had to take responsibility for what they had done to him.

Nick insisted that what he had done to Will had not given Kate and Sami the right to try to kill him. Nick summarized that when he had regained consciousness after being pushed into the river, Gabi had wanted to save him, but Sami and Kate had talked her out of doing so, which had been wrong -- very, very wrong. Later, Nick said farewell to Gabi and excused himself so that he could meet with Percy to discuss some things. "And goodbye to you, too, pumpkin. You know, your mom is so beautiful, it's almost criminal she didn't get back into modeling," Nick pointedly told Arianna before exiting the pub.

At the courthouse, an elated Jennifer hugged J.J. tightly, prompting him to eventually warn that he might explode if she squeezed any harder. As Jennifer loosened her grip on J.J., Abigail gently urged him to give Jennifer a break, since the judge's earlier ruling had been a major victory for all of them. Meanwhile, Jennifer received a text message from Hope and rushed off to deliver the good news to her.

After Jennifer left, J.J. turned his attention to his cell phone. Observing that J.J. wasn't really acting like someone who had just received good news, Abigail asked if he was okay, and he put his phone away as he assured her that he was fine. Abigail somewhat nosily wondered who J.J. had been about to contact, and he shrugged as he replied that he had just been thinking that it would be a good idea to send a text message to Daniel.

J.J. reasoned that, while Jennifer had been pretending that she no longer cared about Daniel, she would likely still want him to know how J.J.'s sentencing hearing had gone. Conceding the point, Abigail offered to send Daniel a text message herself, assuming that he would ignore anything that J.J. sent him.

Elsewhere, Hope admitted that she had been unaware that Aiden was a lawyer, let alone that he was the lawyer whom Justin had entrusted with the responsibility of handling her cousin's sentencing hearing. Aiden nodded and replied that he had likewise been unaware that Hope was related to J.J. Aiden acknowledged that Hope's family was quite nice. "And I'm the exception? Is that what you were going to say?" Hope guessed.

Before Aiden could respond, Jennifer arrived and proceeded to praise him for his earlier performance. Jennifer said that she was glad that Hope had gotten the chance to meet Aiden, prompting Hope to clarify that she already knew him. Hope pointedly added that Aiden's son went to school with Ciara, but Jennifer failed to make the connection Hope had hoped for.

Jennifer revealed that she was planning to host a celebratory gathering for J.J. at the Horton house later that day, and she invited Aiden and his son to attend. Hope, who was standing next to Jennifer, shook her head at Aiden, silently indicating that she wanted him to decline the invitation. Aiden explained that Chase had basketball practice later that day. "Oh, that's too bad," Hope insincerely stated.

Undeterred, Jennifer suggested that Aiden could attend the event alone, reasoning that it would give her family a chance to get to know him better. As Hope turned her head away from Aiden and discreetly bit her lip, Jennifer tried to enlist Hope's help to persuade him to join them at the Horton house. "Hmm? Yeah. Uh, yeah, um -- yes, it would be...nice if you...joined us," Hope reluctantly agreed as she forced a smile.

When J.J. returned to the Horton house with Jennifer later that day, Abigail, Hope, Kayla, and Abe were waiting there to surprise him. As everyone congratulated J.J., Jennifer admitted that she had been nervous about organizing the celebration because he hated surprises. Abigail suspected that J.J. wouldn't mind once he saw the dessert that she had made for the gathering -- angel food cake, which she had made not only because it was his favorite, but also because he was going to be a perfect little angel in the future.

The doorbell rang a short time later, and when Jennifer opened the front door, she found Rory and Bev standing outside. Jennifer invited Bev and Rory to join the celebration, but while they were enjoying slices of cake, Jennifer pulled J.J. aside to quietly warn him that they were going to have to have a discussion about his friends later. J.J. reminded Jennifer that she had given him permission to invite Rory and Bev over to the house, and he also reminded her that they were the only two people at his school who had stuck with him after he had trashed the town square.

J.J. urged Jennifer to stop looking at Bev and Rory like they were toxic beings who were going to contaminate the house, and Jennifer apologized and assured J.J. that she was still okay with him hanging out with his friends in the town square for a while that day. J.J. stressed that he had meant what he had said at the courthouse earlier, adding that he loved Jennifer and never could have made it through his legal ordeal without her support. After thanking everyone for attending the party and saying farewell to them, J.J. left with Rory and Bev.

Elsewhere, Hope approached Aiden, who had arrived while Hope had been in the kitchen earlier. Hope politely informed Aiden that there was cake and coffee that he was welcome to help himself to, and he joked that he was glad that she wasn't carrying either. In response, Hope reached for a nearby carafe of punch and started to pour herself a glass of it as she wondered if Aiden was ever going to let her forget about the time that she had spilled a smoothie on him. Aiden laughed and admitted that he probably wasn't going to be able to do that at any point in the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, Ciara interrupted and started to ask Hope for permission to have something, but she stopped herself when she realized who Hope was talking to. Aiden excused himself and went to talk to Abe, and as soon as Aiden was out of earshot, Ciara demanded to know what he was doing at the party. Hope explained that Aiden was a lawyer who had helped J.J. earlier that day, but Ciara didn't care, since she still believed that Aiden was mean. Hope gently informed Ciara that first impressions sometimes turned out to be wrong. "Really? Last night, you said, 'Chase's father's just plain sad,' remember?" Ciara reminded Hope as Aiden walked back into earshot.

As Aiden started to exit the house later, Hope stopped him and asked him to give her a moment to explain what Ciara had said earlier. Aiden assured Hope that it wasn't necessary for her to do so, summarizing that she apparently believed that it was okay for her to describe him to her daughter as a "head case" when, in reality, Hope knew nothing about him. Hope countered that Aiden also knew nothing about her, and he suggested that it would be best for them to keep it that way.

Elsewhere, Kayla wondered if Jennifer had seen Liam lately, and Jennifer admitted that she had not. Kayla mused that she had recently told J.J. that he would always have Jennifer's forgiveness because Jennifer loved him -- a sentiment that could apply to other people, as well. Jennifer got Kayla's hint and insisted that Jennifer and Daniel were finished, since he had spent the night with Theresa and had never even tried to explain that action to Jennifer -- probably because he didn't have an explanation for it. Jennifer summarized that the woman who had forgiven Jack multiple times was long gone, and she vowed that she would never forgive Daniel -- not for sleeping with Theresa, but for knowing how much it would hurt Jennifer and doing it anyway.

E.J. met Sami in the town square. Sami said that Gabi was losing her mind, and E.J. reported that he had just seen Nick, who was certifiable. Sami said that she didn't want to hear Gabi and Nick's names mentioned in the same breath, and she proceeded to explain that Gabi was thinking about giving Nick another chance, just like Sami had done with E.J. E.J. indignantly insisted that he couldn't possibly be compared to Nick, who was a deranged psychopath. E.J. conceded that he had done some things to Sami in the past that had hurt her, but he stressed that they had put all of that behind them and that he would never again do anything to hurt her.

As E.J. held Sami's hand and continued to reassure her that their situation was completely different than Gabi and Nick's, Abigail entered the town square and spotted them. Sami assured E.J. that she believed that he would never hurt her again, and he promised that he also would not let Nick hurt her. E.J. suggested that he and Sami could return to the DiMera mansion together, but there was some paperwork at the office that was awaiting her signature, so she promised to meet him back at the mansion later.

After Sami left, Abigail revealed herself to E.J. and asked if he had a moment to spare for her. E.J. nodded and followed Abigail to a secluded section of the town square, where she revealed that J.J. had received probation earlier. Abigail admitted that she had been on cloud nine until she had spotted E.J. and Sami holding hands earlier, at which point Abigail had "crashed." Confused, E.J. said that he had been under the impression that Abigail had known how he felt about Sami since the very beginning.

"I know how you feel about her now, but did you feel that way about her before, on Smith Island [and] the other times that we've been together? Look, I -- I know that Sami always forgives you for...whatever, right? I've heard some of the crazy stories about the stuff that you guys have done to each other. But...do you think that she would forgive you this time, if she knew about you and me? Would Sami?" Abigail wondered -- just as Sami arrived and interrupted the conversation.

At Club TBD, J.J. thanked Rory and Bev for helping him neutralize Theresa. As Rory raised his coffee mug and proposed a toast to the "vampire who lost her fangs," Bev studied J.J.'s contemplative expression and wondered if something was wrong. J.J. explained that he was thinking about his earlier encounter with Theresa, who had seemed suspiciously nice and had been very concerned about what he would be doing after the hearing. J.J. sighed as he suddenly realized something.

Elsewhere, Ciara guessed that Chase was probably mean because his dad was mean. Hope clarified that Aiden wasn't mean, adding that grownups were simply not always able to find ways to get along with each other. Hope explained that in those cases, it was best for those grownups to stay away from each other. Ciara wondered if that meant that Hope and Aiden would not be having play dates together in the future, and she smiled as Hope laughed and confirmed the suspicion.

In Daniel's apartment, Theresa told Daniel that she had started to remember some additional details about the night that she had overdosed. Theresa added that after repeatedly going over everything in her head in an effort to make sense of it all, she had reached the conclusion that Daniel had been lying to her and everyone else about what had happened on that particular night. Theresa insisted that Daniel's lies had to stop right away.

Daniel wanted to know exactly what Theresa had remembered, so she elaborated that she was aware that she and J.J. had been getting high together in her apartment on the night in question and that she also knew that J.J. was the person who had called Daniel when she had overdosed. Theresa wondered why Daniel had allowed everyone to believe that he had hooked up with her on that particular night instead of telling them the truth. Ignoring the question, Daniel guessed that Theresa had known the truth all along, and she admitted that he was right, matter-of-factly adding that she liked to play games.

Daniel countered that he didn't like being played, but Theresa advised him to drop the hypocritical attitude, reminding him that he had also been lying to everyone for months. Daniel conceded the point and wondered if he and Theresa were finished, since his secret was finally out. Theresa took a seat on Daniel's couch and cryptically informed him that they were just getting started.

Meanwhile, Daniel received a text message from Maggie, informing him that J.J. had been given probation earlier. Theresa seemed pleased to hear that, and she casually mentioned that she had gone to the courthouse earlier to wish J.J. luck. Theresa claimed that she liked seeing good things happen to people, and she added that she never wanted to see anyone get punished for their mistakes -- especially not the man who had saved her life.

Daniel doubted Theresa's sincerity, but she assured him that she liked him, and she guessed that he also liked her a lot more than he was willing to admit. Daniel stressed that Theresa was misreading the situation, but she disagreed and stated that he was exactly her type. Theresa predicted that she and Daniel were going to have a lot of fun together, and she boldly added that it was time for them to take their relationship to the next level.

Daniel clarified that he and Theresa didn't have a relationship, adding that he wasn't attracted to her for a number of reasons, one of which was the stunt that she had just pulled. Theresa reminded Daniel that she had previously warned him to drop the condescending attitude, and she urged him to man up and accept the fact that she was going to get what she wanted. "Today is your D-Day. You make the wrong decision, it could cost you your license. Now, I'm no lawyer, but my guess is all the lies that you and J.J. told about the night of my OD could wind up causing his probation to be revoked, and then it's off to prison, and Jenny has one more thing to blame you for while she's crying her eyes out. Is that what you want?" Theresa wondered.

Theresa clarified that she wasn't talking about just having a one-night stand with Daniel, either, adding that she planned to have an ongoing relationship with him that lasted for at least a few months, if not longer. Theresa also mentioned that kicking Nicole out of the apartment was going to be Daniel's first order of business. Daniel refused to cooperate, knowing that complying with Theresa's demands would hurt Jennifer too much.

"Oh, my God. Are you still in love with that mousy little bitch?!" Theresa asked incredulously, prompting Daniel to realize that hurting Jennifer was Theresa's true motivation. Daniel wondered if Theresa wanted to hurt Jennifer because Jennifer had fired Theresa or because Jennifer had saved Theresa from going to prison, and he advised Theresa to think about the question on her way out of the apartment. Theresa refused to leave, warning Daniel that she had hard evidence that could ruin his career and jeopardize J.J.'s freedom. Daniel was skeptical, so Theresa retrieved her cell phone from her purse and showed him the incriminating video of J.J.

"Lots of copies of that, in case you're wondering. So, here's the deal -- we have lots of hot, sweaty sex, fun dates, [and] little quickies at the hospital, making very sure that Jennifer sees us together a lot, or you can kiss your career goodbye and wave to J.J. when they're loading him on the bus for Statesville," Theresa matter-of-factly summarized as she ended the video. Theresa conceded that Daniel might be willing to put his career at risk to fight her on the matter, but she was confident that he would never risk sending J.J. to prison.

Theresa knowingly guessed that, while J.J. had trashed Daniel on numerous occasions and was the biggest jerk she'd ever met, Daniel would still be willing to do anything to protect J.J. simply because J.J. was Jennifer's little boy. Theresa promised that J.J.'s secret would remain a secret as long as Daniel did exactly what she wanted him to do. Seething with rage, Daniel tightly grabbed Theresa's wrists as she started to rub his back, and he held her in place for a long moment before finally letting her go, grabbing a nearby coffee mug, throwing it across the room, and screaming with frustration as it shattered against a wall.

Daniel's anger unnerved Theresa, who conceded that having a sexual relationship with her might be too much for him to handle at that moment. Theresa decided to try a different approach, summarizing that she needed money and Daniel had money, and she reasoned that she deserved to be compensated for her pain and suffering. Daniel incredulously wondered if Theresa had forgotten about the fact that he had saved her life on the night in question, and she assured him that she had not, adding that she was grateful because she would not otherwise be standing in his apartment at that moment, negotiating the amount of money that he would soon be paying her for her silence. Daniel refused to pay Theresa a single cent, so she advised him to think about how Jennifer would feel about him when Jennifer realized that he had been too cheap to save J.J. from going to prison.

Theresa guessed that J.J. and Jennifer were worth at least "the high five figures" to Daniel. Meanwhile, Daniel received a text message from Abigail to let him know the good news about J.J.'s sentencing hearing. Theresa mused that J.J.'s good news could turn into bad news before the end of the day, and she wondered what Daniel's decision was going to be. Daniel conceded that it seemed like he didn't really have a choice in the matter. Daniel proceeded to write Theresa a check for fifteen thousand dollars, but before he signed it, he stressed that he wanted to know that he would never hear from her again after handing over the check.

Theresa gave Daniel her word that she would drop the matter after he paid her, but when he muttered that her word wasn't worth much, she threatened to increase the asking price if he continued to insult her. Theresa impatiently urged Daniel to go ahead and sign the check so that she could leave, but before he could do so, someone knocked on his apartment door. When Daniel opened the door, Theresa was horrified to see J.J. standing outside.

At Club TBD, Kate informed Lucas that she had hired Nick to work at Mad World. As Lucas scowled at Kate, she added that her private investigator had found no information on Jordan's various aliases. When Lucas asked why Kate had hired Nick, Kate avoided the question. Lucas warned Kate that Sami would be angry to learn that Nick would remain in Salem, but Kate informed him that Sami already knew.

Kate changed the subject back to Jordan. When Kate expressed her surprise that the private investigator had failed to turn up information on Jordan's aliases, Lucas suggested that Jordan might not have used the fake I.D.s. Laughing, Kate wondered aloud if Jordan had the fake I.D.s in case she needed to leave her life as Jordan behind. After receiving a text message from Will, Lucas left.

In Rafe's apartment, Jordan returned from physical therapy and jumped into bed with a sleeping Rafe. The two made love. After, Jordan suggested that Rafe should take her out to eat. When Rafe grinned, Jordan warned him that he needed to stop smiling, or everyone would know that they had been having sex.

Will returned to his apartment and showed Sonny the engagement ring he had purchased for Sonny. After Will placed the finger on Sonny's finger, Sonny pulled Will's ring out of his pocket and placed it on Will's finger.

"When I met you, Sonny, I didn't know where I was going, what I wanted, or who I was. You taught me what it meant to love somebody. Not just saying the words but living it. Every day," Will said. The happy couple fell onto the couch, laughing. Will joked that their biggest obstacle yet was their mothers in wedding planning mode. Will and Sonny reluctantly agreed that they needed to tell their parents right away.

At the Horton house, Liam stopped by with flowers for Jennifer. Liam congratulated Jennifer on J.J.'s good news. When Liam asked if she was celebrating with the kids, Jennifer admitted that they had celebrated earlier. Liam and Jennifer sat on the couch and chatted awkwardly.

When Liam asked if Jennifer was still hung up on Daniel, Jennifer admitted that she was done with Daniel but that she was having difficulty moving forward. Smiling, Liam asked Jennifer to take baby steps with him. Liam invited her to dinner, and she agreed.

At Daniel's apartment, Daniel was hesitating before signing a check for Theresa when J.J. knocked on the door. Theresa frowned as J.J. walked in. J.J. informed Theresa that she would not get what she wanted. J.J. asked Daniel if Theresa had told Daniel that she had remembered the night of the overdose, and he asked whether Theresa had blackmailed Daniel. When Daniel said yes, J.J. smiled and noted that Theresa was predictable.

"Go ahead and tell him why this is your last shot. And why this is all over," J.J. said. J.J. explained that Theresa had embezzled money from the hospital. Theresa protested that she had been set up, but unfazed, J.J. noted that Theresa had pursued the money as expected. Smiling, J.J. announced that Theresa could not blackmail Daniel because J.J. had evidence against her that prevented Theresa from hurting Daniel. J.J. told Theresa that he had texted Daniel, and Daniel chimed in that he had stalled writing the check because of J.J.'s text.

Furious, Theresa attacked J.J. and slapped him. Daniel pulled Theresa off of J.J. While Theresa seethed, J.J. asked her to remember what Daniel had done to protect J.J. and Theresa. J.J. warned Theresa to take her second chance, but she countered with a threat to ruin him and Daniel.

After Theresa left, Daniel asked J.J. how he had known that Theresa would be at the apartment. J.J. explained that Theresa had said something before his hearing that had hinted she would visit Daniel. When Daniel asked why J.J. had not told him about Theresa's blackmail sooner, J.J. admitted that he had attempted to tell Daniel the truth but that Theresa had warned him that she would hurt Daniel.

Daniel thanked J.J. for intervening with Theresa. When Daniel noted that they were even, J.J. said he still owed Daniel. J.J. added that at least they were through dealing with Theresa. Daniel and J.J. sat down to talk, and J.J. informed Daniel what had happened with the check embezzling. When J.J. said that he was going to go home and tell him mother everything that had happened, Daniel shut him down. Daniel stressed that Jennifer would tell someone, and if Theresa learned that, she would lash out at J.J.

Frustrated, J.J. argued that Jennifer had a right to learn what Daniel had done. Daniel noted that if Theresa went to the judge that there could be new charges against J.J. J.J. sighed. The hospital texted Daniel, so he ushered J.J. out of the apartment and made him swear to keep quiet.

At the courthouse, Theresa paced the hallway until she found a bailiff. Theresa asked to see Judge Goldberg because she had information for him about a case. The bailiff agreed to talk to the judge. When the bailiff returned, he informed Theresa that the judge had agreed to talk to her. As the bailiff turned to show Theresa into the judge's chambers, Theresa chickened out and ducked down the hall. The bailiff shrugged and walked away.

In the park, Abigail and E.J. talked quietly about his volatile relationship with Sami. "I know that Sami always forgives you for whatever. I've heard some of the crazy stories about the stuff that you guys have done to each other. But do you think she would forgive you this time? If she knew about you and me?" Abigail asked as Sami walked into the clearing. Sami asked what they were saying about her. E.J. said that he was informing Abigail that Sami knew the truth and understood.

When Sami asked what Abigail knew, E.J. explained that he had told Abigail what had happened between Nick and Gabi so that Abigail would not talk to Hope. Sami thanked Abigail. Upset, Abigail hurriedly left. Sami joked that E.J. had to have "done a real number on her." E.J. noted that Nick had upset Abigail by suggesting that Abigail knew information about Nick's disappearance.

When E.J. asked if Will and Sonny knew about Nick's evidence against them, Sami said that she had not told them yet. Citing her need to see Will, Sami smiled at E.J. sheepishly and said goodbye. Grinning, E.J. joked that he would be in his bedroom in case Sami wanted to say goodnight to him later. Sami kissed his cheek, then left.

E.J. walked into the town square, and Abigail confronted him. As E.J. sidestepped Abigail, she asked him whether he knew who the real E.J. was. Stepping closer to Abigail, E.J. asked her what the benefits of telling Sami the truth about the affair would be. E.J. stressed that telling Sami would only cause misery for all three of them. Abigail asked E.J. if he was genuine with Sami when they were alone.

"I just want to know because the guy on Smith Island in the cabin and the one in the shower with me, who is he? What's that man really feeling? When you figure it out, I'd love to know," Abigail said before walking away.

At the Brady Pub, Rafe and Jordan sat down for dinner. After eating, Rafe said he needed to return home and prepare for his court testimony in the morning. Rafe offered to walk Jordan to the pet store to pick up a treat for Arthur, since Arthur had inadvertently caused Jordan and Rafe to take the next step in their relationship. Smiling, Jordan and Rafe kissed as Kate walked into the pub.

Rafe saw Kate and called out to her. When Kate turned around, Rafe rose to his feet and showed Kate that he could stand without support. Rafe invited Kate to join them. Kate declined but congratulated Rafe on his progress. Smiling, Rafe thanked Kate for supporting him and pushing him to recover prior to Jordan's appearance. Barely masking her discomfort, Kate nodded. When Rafe asked about Sheryl, Kate said she was doing well. Kate said goodnight and left.

Outside the Brad Pub, Kate's phone rang. Ortiz had called to inform Kate that he had no information about Jordan. Nodding, Kate said that she had some ideas for Ortiz's investigation. As Kate walked away, an unknown person peeked through the window at the pub and looked in at Jordan and Rafe.

At Sonny and Will's apartment, Lucas stopped by after Will sent him a text message. With a grin, Will said that he had good news but that he wanted to wait for Sami to arrive before he said anything. Sami arrived and asked if everything was okay. Smiling, Will and Sonny announced that they were getting married. Lucas grinned and hugged them as he congratulated them on the news. Stunned, Sami stared, speechless. Will asked Sami if she had anything to say.

"Are you two crazy?" Sami said. When Lucas asked what Sami meant, Sami pointed out that Will and Sonny were too young to get married. Will stressed that he and Sonny understood how difficult life was, and they wanted to face the challenges of life together.

"What we have comes along once in a lifetime if you're lucky. You run away from that, that's nuts," Will said. Lucas and Sami wished they had been as wise as Will at his age. Smiling, Sami noted that Will had always been more mature than his parents. Sami hugged Will and Sonny and congratulated them on their engagement.

When Will asked Sami and Lucas to join him and Sonny for a champagne toast, Sami thanked Will but declined. Sami told Will and Sonny that she loved them and that she hoped everyone were as happy with one another as Sonny and Will. Lucas congratulated his "sons," and he left Will and Sonny to celebrate alone.

At the hospital, Theresa angrily grabbed some binders off of the nurses' station desk and fumbled them to the floor. As Theresa bent over to pick up the materials, Daniel squatted beside her and helped. Theresa pulled the binders out of his hands, and Daniel warned her to work with him if Theresa wanted to stay out of jail. Daniel asked Theresa to let go of her hate and leave J.J. and Jennifer alone.

As Liam and Jennifer headed out of the Horton house, Liam opened the door while Jennifer pulled her coat on. Liam turned to help Jennifer with her coat then kissed her. J.J. returned home and was dismayed to see Liam kissing his mother. Liam congratulated J.J. on his good news. Jennifer invited J.J. to join them for dinner, but J.J. politely declined. After Liam and Jennifer left, J.J. whispered to himself that he had to tell Jennifer the truth.

At Club TBD, Abigail drank a glass of wine and thought about when she and E.J. had had sex at the cabin.

In the DiMera living room, E.J. sat in a chair, staring at the floor rather than at the documents on his lap. Sami arrived home, and E.J. asked her how Will was doing. Sami quietly said Will was good. As Sami fixed a drink at the bar, E.J. returned to reading his documents. Sami walked over to E.J. and handed him the drink she had prepared. Surprised, E.J. took the glass. Sami walked behind him and gently put her hands on his shoulders.

With a sigh, E.J. grasped one of her hands and kissed it gently. Sami walked around in front of E.J., set his documents aside, and pulled him to his feet. As E.J. stared at Sami, she took his hand and led him upstairs. In their bedroom, Sami undressed E.J., and the two made love.

At the DiMera mansion, a sleeping E.J. felt Sami's lips on his, kissing him awake. He smiled and leaned over to return the kiss -- but found himself kissing Abigail instead. A moment later, he bolted awake and saw that the bed next to him was empty. Sami returned to the bedroom with a breakfast tray filled with foods that she joked would help E.J. regain his strength after their lovemaking the night before.

E.J. confessed that he had missed being in Sami's bed, but he felt that they were stronger after their struggle to get back together. Things quickly turned amorous again. Later, Sami informed E.J. that she had decided to take him back after a conversation with Will. "My son is getting married," Sami announced happily. An overjoyed E.J. shouted his excitement over the news. Sami explained that Will had talked about not taking love for granted or wasting time, and that had made her realize that she and E.J. had wasted too much time already.

E.J. vowed to get Will and Sonny a very extravagant wedding gift to show his gratitude. Sami pointed out that there would be a lot of details to work out with two impending family weddings. After marveling that they could be so happy when they had just been worrying that the world was about to end, Sami jumped out of bed, remembering all the things that she had to do.

Downstairs, Stefano greeted Abe, who had stopped by to thank Stefano for his generous donation to build a hospital wing named for Lexie. Abe was about to leave when E.J. and Sami arrived in the living room. "She was a great woman. She deserves to be honored in this way -- in every way," Sami said. Abe walked out with Sami, who was on her way to see Arianna before going to work.

Outside, Abe urged Sami to be careful with regard to E.J. Sami lightly pointed out that Abe had also been married to a DiMera, one who had changed and grown over time -- and E.J. was on the same journey as Lexie had taken. She encouraged Abe to keep the date for her and E.J.'s wedding clear when they set one, because she knew that Johnny would love for his cousin Theo to be there.

After Stefano filled E.J. in about the new wing of the hospital, E.J. headed out the door for the office. Before E.J. could go, Stefano congratulated him on reuniting with Samantha. "So, the wedding is on?" Stefano inquired. "I can't think of anything that could stop it," E.J. said.

In Horton Square, Abigail nursed a cup of coffee while she tried to convince herself that her trysts with E.J. had been as meaningful to him as they had been for her. When she got up from the table and walked determinedly away, she nearly plowed into Nick. Nick invited her to join him for coffee and to talk about whatever was obviously bothering her.

Putting words in Abigail's mouth, Nick guessed that she'd been thinking about work. He added that it was his first full day back at Mad World. "Lately, I am convinced that if you want something badly enough, you just have to bear down until you get it," Nick maintained. Abigail didn't agree, but she also didn't want to talk about why. Nick confessed that he missed the days when the two of them could talk about anything, because there were topics -- like Gabi -- that he couldn't discuss with the rest of the family.

Nick confided that he had a very deep connection with Gabi, one that he felt with his entire being, and he believed that she shared the feeling. "I'm sorry; I just don't think it's possible," Abigail cautioned. After assuring Abigail that she had a right to her opinion, Nick asked Abigail not to mention it to Gabi, because he didn't want to scare Gabi off. "It's just -- why would you risk living the rest of your life regretting what you didn't try?" Nick mused.

After Nick had gone, Abigail pondered his parting words. "You're right, Nick. For once, you're actually right," she said to herself.

Later, E.J. entered the conference room at the DiMera offices, expecting to find the assistant to his client, Mr. Gibbons. Instead, Abigail was waiting for him. Abigail admitted that she'd overheard E.J. discussing his meeting that day, so she had lied to his assistant in order to get in. E.J. couldn't figure out why Abigail would have done that, but when he saw her beaming expectantly at him, he started to rebuff her. Abigail pointed out that Sami would be out of the office for a while. "Abigail, what exactly is it that you want?" E.J. demanded. Abigail replied firmly, "You. I want you. E.J., I'm not going to just walk away."

At Will and Sonny's apartment, Sonny asked Gabi how things had gone with Nick. Gabi testily maintained that Nick truly had changed. She revealed that Nick had admitted to her, Sami, and Kate that he remembered everything. Sonny asserted that meant that Nick had been playing Gabi since he'd returned to town, but Gabi contended that Nick hadn't said anything because he hadn't wanted to make anyone feel uncomfortable. An incredulous Sonny pointed out that the women had thrown Nick into the river.

"He thinks I'm innocent!" Gabi practically shouted. She pointed out that she'd only hit Nick in self-defense, and Kate and Sami had convinced her that Nick was dead and that they should dump him in the river. Sonny reminded Gabi that Sami and Kate had risked everything to protect Gabi. Gabi insisted that Nick had been right about her innocence -- and everything he'd been saying was proof that he was trying to be open-minded.

Gabi pointed out that Nick could have sent all three women to prison, but he hadn't. Sonny argued that Nick continually proved that he could not be trusted -- and Gabi kept letting Nick back in her life because she was too blind and weak to learn from her mistakes. Gabi bristled, but Sonny reminded her how, just a few months after Nick had nearly gotten Will killed, she had slept with Nick. "What is your land-speed record for wanting to sleep with him again, or did you already break that record?" Sonny demanded.

Furious, Gabi slapped Sonny. After accusing him of having no respect for her, Gabi stormed out, leaving Sonny with Arianna. "It's your turn to watch Arianna!" an angry Sonny shouted after her, to no avail.

After receiving a text message from Gabi, Nick met her in the park outside Horton Square. Gabi said that she was the only one who understood that Nick really wanted to change. She explained that she'd just had a big fight with Sonny about whether Nick had changed. Nick regretted putting Gabi in the middle. Gabi complained that everyone thought she was an idiot, but she pointed out that Sami was with E.J. after all of the terrible things those two had done to one another, which were far worse than what Nick and Gabi had been through.

Nick seemed pleased that Gabi had mentioned that to Sami and that Gabi had defended him, but he urged her to stop taking his side for the time being because she would risk her relationships with Will, Sonny, and Sami.

When Sami arrived at the apartment, Sonny answered the door with Arianna in his arms. As Sami took the baby from him, Sonny said that Will was in class that morning. Sami quickly figured out that something was bothering Sonny, and he admitted that he'd just had a huge argument with Gabi. Guessing that Sonny had learned that Nick knew everything, Sami asked, "Don't tell me that she's still on this pathetic 'Nick's changed' kick. What is wrong with that girl?"

Sonny complained that Gabi was completely blind to her own weakness for Nick. Sami said, "She basically said to me that her forgiving Nick is the same as me forgiving E.J." Sonny asked if Sami had, indeed, forgiven E.J. Sami said that everything was good between her and E.J. again -- and she wanted to coordinate wedding dates with Sonny and Will.

Sonny was taken aback when Gabi called just then and apologized for overreacting. Sonny admitted that they'd both said things that they shouldn't have. Gabi said that she would never forget that Sonny had delivered Arianna. "She loves you, and you're her parent as much as Will and I are. And I always want to stay friends," Gabi said. Sonny agreed.

When Gabi hung up, Nick assured her, "You handled that just right." Gabi thanked him for suggesting that she apologize. Nick took her hand, but when he saw Gabi's smile fall, he took his hand away again. Nick left but promised to talk to Gabi again soon.

Sonny told Sami that Gabi had been very nice. Sami hoped that maybe Sonny had finally gotten through to Gabi. "It's going to be interesting when she finds out Will and I are getting married," Sonny admitted.

Nicole was looking through Chyka's papers at Daniel's apartment when Eric knocked on the door and called out to Daniel. Nicole quickly slid the papers back in their envelope and answered the door. She advised Eric that Daniel was still at the hospital, where he'd been all night. Eric informed Nicole that he'd been telling Father Matt and the bishop what had happened with Chyka. Eric had tried to resign, but they had asked him to wait.

Nicole thought Eric should respect what the church leaders wanted. Eric explained that he had asked God for a sign that it was His will for Eric to remain a priest, but there had not been one -- so Eric had resigned, effective immediately. A conflicted Nicole's eyes filled with tears as she put her arms around Eric, who assured her that he was certain about his decision. Eric said that he was running late to meet his parents, but he wanted to see Nicole that evening because they still had a lot to talk about.

"Nicole, I have meant everything I've ever said about my feelings for you, and I understand if you are less sure than I am," Eric said. "You don't have to worry about that, Eric," Nicole reassured him, stroking his hand. She asked if he were still a priest. Eric said that there were still some formalities that would take a little while, but he was no longer bound to his vows. After giving Nicole a lingering goodbye embrace, Eric left.

Returning to Chyka's papers, Nicole tearfully told herself, "I need to be as sure as he is. Oh, God, I need to love him the way he's been loving me, without complications. And that means ditching this -- today."

Marlena and Roman met at the Brady Pub after each had received text messages from Eric. Neither knew what Eric wanted to talk to them about, but when they saw Brady, they decided to ask him if he knew. Brady said that he hadn't gotten the same message -- and quite frankly, he didn't care what Eric had to say. Marlena was puzzled because she thought that Brady had forgiven Eric.

Brady complained that he was sick of everyone -- like Nicole -- telling him how he was supposed to feel. "I don't want to hear it from her; I don't want to hear it from you," Brady barked before storming out.

When Eric arrived at the pub a little later, he told his parents that he'd asked the church to release him from his vows. Roman and Marlena were stunned. Eric reassured them that he was still on God's path. Marlena reminded her son that his commitment to the church had been passionate and inspired. Eric admitted that he had fought to hang on to his position, but it had become clear to him that he had to stop fighting.

Eric explained that Kristen had hired a man, Chyka, to create the drug cocktail that she'd used on Eric -- but there was no proof, and Chyka was long gone. Marlena wanted to try to find a way to clear Eric's name, but he assured his parents that he was not ambivalent about his decision, and he was looking forward to the next phase of his life. Eric left because he had other people he wanted to tell of his decision in person.

Nicole took Chyka's papers to her office at the TV station and turned on the shredder. As she held a page over the shredder, she paused for a moment, but then she fed the paper into the machine, followed quickly by another. Nicole jumped when Brady clapped a hand on her shoulder. Nicole claimed that she was simply getting rid of some notes on a story she'd been working on that hadn't panned out. Brady reminded her that she'd told him that there were some things that he needed to know about Eric. Brady asked what they were.

When Brady and Eric ran into one another in Horton Square a little later, Brady greeted his brother tersely and tried to keep going, but Eric stopped him. Brady reluctantly stayed to hear Eric out. Eric revealed that he had resigned from the church and had already told his parents, who had been surprised, but he had prayed a lot before making the decision. "If that's what you think you should do, then maybe that's what you should do," Brady said. Eric clarified that he believed it was what God wanted him to do. "Well, Eric, I don't know about God, but it sure as hell is what Nicole wants," Brady declared.

Nicole went to the pub to look for Eric, but Marlena informed her that he had just left after telling them about his decision. "You wonder if he'd have made the same decision if that guy Chyka hadn't gotten away," Roman mused. "It was unfortunate, and I am so sorry that Chyka gave me the slip like that," Nicole said apologetically. Marlena demanded to know what Nicole was talking about, since Eric had left out that part of the story. Roman asked Nicole to fill in the blanks for them.

Nicole explained, "Well, to make a long story short, Daniel and I tracked down Chyka, and we tried to get what we could out of him, and we came up short. And then Daniel was dealing with putting out some other fire, which we don't need to get into, and Chyka bolted. And now it's a dead end. That's the whole story." Marlena clarified, "So Chyka bolted on your watch, when you were watching him. You and nobody else?"

Due to NBC Sports coverage of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Days of our Lives did not air today. This programming change was accounted for and there will be no "lost" episodes as a result of this pre-emption.

Regular programming will resume on Friday, February 21, and pick up where the Wednesday, February 19 episode concluded.

In the conference room at E.J.'s office, Abigail told E.J. that she wasn't going to walk away -- and she didn't think he wanted her to. E.J. reminded Abigail that he and Samantha were engaged. Abigail pointed out that he had also been engaged when they had been together at the cabin, and besides, E.J. and Sami weren't even sleeping in the same bed. E.J. informed Abigail that was no longer the case.

After E.J. locked the door to give the two of them some privacy, Abigail demanded to know why he'd had sex with her. When E.J.'s answer wasn't immediately forthcoming, Abigail concluded, "The only reason you slept with me is because you weren't getting any at home." E.J. assured her that wasn't true, but he said that there wasn't a simple answer. Abigail professed that she knew what they'd shared hadn't been "just sex" and that E.J. had wanted her just as much as she'd wanted him.

E.J. tried to interject, but Abigail asserted that they shouldn't walk away from something that made them feel the way they felt. She acknowledged that he and Sami loved each other and were back together. "You say that like it doesn't even matter!" E.J. objected. Abigail insisted that it didn't matter because E.J. had also loved Sami every time he'd been with Abigail. She continued that Sami obviously wasn't enough, or E.J. wouldn't have gone to Abigail.

"I know you. You want to make love to me, right here on this table, right now," Abigail said, inching closer and closer to E.J. He pulled her toward him, but stopped short of kissing her. "You should leave," he murmured, but Abigail refused. Although he was clearly tempted, E.J. pulled away, citing concerns for how Samantha would feel if she found out. Abigail assured E.J. that she didn't want Sami to find out any more than he did. "We can be careful," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him -- and he surrendered.

At the Horton house, Jennifer was in a rush to leave for work when J.J. stopped her. "I can't let you go another day without hearing the truth -- all of it," J.J. said. Fearful about what J.J. might have to say, Jennifer asked if she should call a lawyer. J.J. acknowledged that she had good reason to jump to that conclusion. He said that his future depended on her keeping what he was about to tell her between the two of them.

J.J. began by saying that he wished he didn't have to tell his mom what he'd done, but keeping quiet was damaging people's lives -- especially Jennifer's. Jennifer assumed that it had something to do with Bev and Rory. After assuring his mom that wasn't the case, J.J. informed her that he was the one who'd been with Theresa when she'd overdosed. He explained that he'd gone to Theresa's -- with some weed -- because he'd been "into" her and because she'd insinuated that she would sleep with him if he would get drugs for her.

J.J. continued that Theresa had offered him something else to intensify the experience, but he hadn't wanted it, so he'd only taken a sip of the drink she'd put it in. Theresa had passed out after consuming both of their drinks, and he hadn't been able to wake her up. J.J. had freaked out because he'd known that they would both get busted if he called an ambulance, so he had called Daniel.

Jennifer turned her back to J.J. to hide her pleased smile. J.J. praised Daniel for taking control of the situation, and for ordering J.J. to get rid of the booze and drug paraphernalia and go home. "Daniel covered for me. He lied to keep me out of prison," J.J. said. Jennifer seemed dubious about Daniel's cover story because he had claimed that he'd been there with Theresa, but J.J. insisted that Daniel had neither been there nor slept with Theresa.

Jennifer didn't understand why Daniel hadn't just told her the truth. J.J. explained that at the hospital, people had made assumptions, so Daniel had gone along with them to justify being at Theresa's -- and Jennifer had needed to believe the story because she might have had to lie in court. Jennifer asked why Theresa had kept quiet. J.J. explained, "Because she knew that it was sticking it to you for you to think that Daniel was with her. Mom, she is psycho-jealous of you. She would've done anything."

J.J. divulged that Theresa had blackmailed him with a video she'd taken of him that night. She'd threatened to show it to the judge if he hadn't done everything she'd wanted. Jennifer wanted to know why Theresa hadn't followed through on the threat. J.J. explained that he had caught Theresa on video trying to steal some money, so she couldn't use her video against J.J. unless she wanted to go to prison, as well. Pointing out that the likelihood of the situation increased if more people knew the truth, J.J. made his mom promise not to go after Theresa.

"I promise you that I will not do anything to hurt you," Jennifer vowed, but she wondered why J.J. had chosen that time to tell her everything. J.J. admitted that he hated how things were with his mom and Daniel. "Daniel did this because he knew that it would kill you to see me in prison. He let you think the worst of him so that you wouldn't lose me. He did it for you. He loved you mom. I know he still does," J.J. said.

At the hospital, while Maggie and Daniel were discussing Parker's imminent return from Chloe's, Theresa charged up and demanded that Daniel make time to talk to her. Maggie called Theresa out for being rude. Theresa apologized but announced that she was leaving A.A. because it wasn't working for her. She added somewhat snidely that she knew how much Maggie and Daniel valued honesty.

After Maggie had gone, Theresa pronounced Daniel "a total snake." Daniel countered that he had only played Theresa for a few minutes, but all she did was play people -- and he had no regrets about helping J.J. out. Theresa declared that she could see through Daniel's earnest, saintly act to the player he really was, one who thought everything he did was justified as long as he was doing it to help people.

Theresa mused that perhaps Jennifer had suspected that Daniel would never live up to her standards. Daniel ordered Theresa to leave Jennifer out of it. "You know, she'll always hate you for sleeping with me," Theresa cautioned. Daniel hinted that he'd already told Jennifer everything, but Theresa didn't buy it because Jennifer hadn't told her off about it. Daniel asserted that Theresa didn't really know Jennifer. He reiterated his warning for Theresa to stay away from the people he cared about.

In Horton Square, Brady remarked that Nicole had wanted Eric ever since he'd returned to town -- and since Eric had chosen to leave the priesthood, it left the door open for them to be together. A bit taken aback, Eric maintained that Nicole had helped him a great deal. Brady cautioned Eric, "There are parts of Nikki that she will never let you see, parts that will come back and bite you in the ass."

Eric irritably said that he didn't need advice about Nicole. Brady pointed out that he hadn't needed people warning him about Kristen, either, but Eric argued that the situations weren't the same. Brady asserted that Eric would still end up with a broken heart and a ruined life -- but Brady really couldn't care less what happened to Eric. Eric accused Brady of using again, since he wasn't making any sense. Brady accused Eric of being sanctimonious.

When Brady started in about Nicole again, a fed up Eric declared that he was through trying to make peace with Brady. Eric angrily asserted that Brady needed to accept responsibility for his actions and stop lashing out at everyone. Brady retorted that Eric would never own up to bedding Brady's fiancée and loving every minute of it. Eric sarcastically agreed that he hated Brady so he had wanted to hurt Brady and destroy his own life in the process.

Brady accused Eric of taking advantage of the situation to get exactly what he'd wanted. "You slept with my fiancée? Oh, now you're going to go sleep with my ex! That's great," Brady snarled. "Nicole doesn't belong to you," Eric reminded Brady. Predicting that Nicole and Eric's relationship would last six months at best, Brady implied that he couldn't wait to see Eric get his heart broken.

Later, Brady went to Club TBD and ordered a scotch, which Maggie observed from across the bar. She approached Brady and remarked that vodka was easier to hide on the breath. "I'm not hiding, Maggie," Brady replied. Maggie assured Brady that some day, he would want to crawl back out of the bottle, and she would be there for him. "I love you. Never forget that," she added with a reassuring squeeze of Brady's arm.

After Maggie left, Brady contemplated his drink for a moment then pushed it away. Before he could get up to leave, Theresa entered and offered to join him. Theresa got a drink and informed Brady that she had left the program that morning. Brady admitted that it seemed as if he and his brother were writing each other off for good after an ugly, public fight between them. Upon learning that Maggie had just been there, Theresa wondered if Maggie were a vampire or a shape-shifter.

Theresa declared, "I'm tired of everybody trying to make us miserable, you know? I mean, we're young, we're good-looking, smart -- I mean, our whole lives should just be like a music video full of success and excess." Brady concurred. "Good things come to those who drink," Theresa said as the two laughed and clinked glasses.

When the bartender offered Brady and Theresa another round, Brady declined, citing his bad run-ins earlier. Theresa asked if Brady had been sober at the time. When Brady admitted that he had been, Theresa declared with a laugh, "There's your problem!" Brady instructed the bartender to get them another round. "I like you when you drink. I like you a lot," Theresa confessed.

Maggie ran into J.J. in Horton Square and questioned why he wasn't in class. J.J. assured her that he was on his way to school after a free period. "I really couldn't stand another person I love screwing up today," Maggie admitted. J.J. replied, "I swear to you that I'm not. In fact, I think I just did something right."

At the Brady Pub, Marlena became suspicious when she learned that Nicole had been alone with Dr. Chyka when he'd disappeared. Nicole got defensive, but Roman wanted her to review what had happened, even though she'd already given a full statement to Hope. "If you really do care about [Eric], you'll tell us everything," Roman added. "Of course, I care about Eric. I wouldn't have been there if I didn't care about Eric. That was a low blow," Nicole said.

After Roman had to leave for the station, Marlena demanded that Nicole stick around and relate the whole story about what had happened with Chyka. Nicole explained how she and Daniel had tracked down Chyka and made him confess, but Daniel had gone after Chyka's gun-wielding accomplice. Marlena was surprised that Daniel had left Nicole alone with Chyka. Nicole insisted that Chyka had been so exhausted that both she and Daniel had thought she would be safe.

Marlena mused that there was no evidence about what had happened. Nicole maintained that Chyka had gotten away before she'd gotten the proof, and she felt terrible that he'd escaped. "Do you?" Marlena asked skeptically. She noted that Chyka was the only witness who could exonerate Eric and help them get to the truth. Nicole revealed that she had recorded Chyka's confession but he had stolen her phone. "I just --- I can't believe you let this man slip through your fingers," Marlena complained.

Daniel entered just then and overheard. He asserted that Marlena should be thanking Nicole instead of attacking her. "Nicole has done everything she could to help Eric," Daniel declared. When Marlena accused Nicole of having her own agenda, Nicole explained, "She thinks I torpedoed Eric's chances of becoming a priest again." Daniel firmly stated that Nicole had risked her life just to make sure Eric was reinstated.

Without prompting, Daniel confirmed everything Nicole had told Marlena. "Chyka, he's obviously clever, determined, and ruthless, and I'd say we're fortunate Nicole escaped, because she could have been killed. And all she worried about was the evidence to clear Eric. So with all due respect, I think you owe her an apology," Daniel declared. Turning to Nicole, Marlena said flatly and without conviction, "Sorry, Nicole. Thank you for trying to help Eric." Marlena left without another word.

Nicole complained about Marlena's interrogation techniques. Daniel asserted that Marlena should have praised Nicole for endangering her life for Eric and putting Eric's needs before her own. Eric arrived just then and informed Daniel that he was leaving the priesthood. Eric apologized for not telling Daniel sooner, but he had wanted to tell his family first. Eric asked Daniel to keep it quiet until Eric had a chance to tell the rest of the family. Daniel left to give Nicole and Eric some privacy and to prepare for Parker's return.

Eric informed Nicole that he'd broken the news to his parents, who hadn't taken it well. He assured Nicole that he was happy with his decision -- but he wasn't sure that he would say the same thing if she weren't there. Eric added that he didn't want to look back because the present and future were the only things that mattered. Roman returned and demanded a word in private with Eric, so Nicole left without argument.

Roman asked if Eric were sure of his decision. "Yes. I think if I were supposed to be a priest, then we would've found the evidence to let that happen. We didn't, Dad. I think this is God's will," Eric said.

Outside, Nicole ran into Marlena, who demanded some clarification. "You know, I get the feeling that you don't believe what I told you," Nicole mused. "Maybe I don't," Marlena admitted.

Back at his apartment, Daniel was on the phone with Chloe. After Chloe filled him in on Parker's symptoms, Daniel reassured her that their son just had a cold, but he thought Chloe should keep Parker until he felt better. As Daniel hung up, there was a knock at the door. He opened the door and was stunned to find Jennifer in the hallway.